Chapter 1
It was already very late. There was silence all around. Snowy Diagon Alley was illuminated only by a few lanterns on poles and lamps on shops. Nothing disturbed the usual calm, only occasionally people hurrying home quickly ran a short distance and disappeared behind a stone wall or transgressed. This is probably the most common thing you can see in Diagon Alley.
A woman with hair as white as snow and black strands appeared around the bend, which, oddly enough, perfectly combined with each other. She walked down the alley with her head held high, not noticing the other wizards, who shyly lowered their gaze or turned away completely in the other direction. It seemed like what had she done to deserve it? Narcissa smiled bitterly, because she understood everything perfectly. She didn't know how to respect other people because of Lucius' influence.
Suddenly, Narcissa's attention was attracted by a small creature. It was a girl of about five years old. She was standing outside Ollivander's wand shop, dressed in a light dress and some kind of dark blue robe. There were tears in the girl's eyes, because she was completely alone. Narcissa's heart fluttered at the sight of the girl's big brown eyes, her curly hair. The baby's gaze resembled a little fawn. Narcissa couldn't help but walk over to her. The girl gave her a charming smile.
"Hi, are you alone here?" Mrs. Malfoy asked and bent down slightly in front of her. Only then did she notice the stuffed yellow bear in the girl's arms.
"Hello. Yes, we were at the train station, and Mom and Dad went somewhere. I was playing with Vinnie, and then I got here, but I couldn't come back. The door had disappeared."
"Stay here, please, don't go anywhere," Narcissa quickly went to the nearest passage to the Muggle train station in the hope that her stupid parents were already looking for her. But there was no one on the platform or nearby. The girl somehow managed to get through here, so she must be a sorceress, otherwise everyone would have known about the presence of Muggles. If her parents are magicians, then they are already in magical Britain and are looking for her.
Less than an hour later, Mrs. Malfoy apparated near Malfoy Manor. Five minutes later, she and the girl found themselves in a large marble hall with a huge staircase decorated with columns. A chandelier hung on the ceiling, resembling small droplets that swirled and emitted a warm light. The girl was surprised to notice the emerald color, which she immediately liked. There was a large upholstered sofa and armchairs in the living room, as well as a lot of furniture with handles in the form of snakes with emeralds. It all seemed like a fairy tale, but the baby really wanted to sleep. It didn't even get to the point of dating.
Narcissa smiled and took her to one of the vacant rooms herself. There was the same emerald-gray style, with a huge four-poster bed and soft feather beds in the center. There were two cabinets with candlesticks on the sides. There was a fireplace in the corner, which was always heated by house elves, as, in principle, all fireplaces of this estate. There was also a wardrobe for clothes, a huge mirror with a silver frame, a black leather sofa and a coffee table. The bathroom door was down the hall and to the right. The young guest was not up to it. As soon as her clothes were on the couch and her head on the pillow, she immediately fell asleep soundly and snored softly, finding herself in the realm of Morpheus.
After making sure that the baby was fast asleep, the woman carefully tucked her in a blanket so that she would not freeze. Then she sighed and went to the kitchen to give the housekeepers instructions about breakfast.
Downstairs, she was greeted by a boy with platinum hair and eyes the color of a stormy sky. His gaze was piercing and expressed a clear respect for himself. At the same time, he was kind and a true aristocrat, which his father was really proud of. From early childhood, Draco studied with professors hired by his father. Potions, flying on a broomstick, Protection from the dark arts — all these are just a small part of his studies.
"Mom, why are you so late? And who is this girl who was next to you? Do I know her?" a whole stream of questions, to which there were few answers, but the boy did not think to stop.
"Draco, darling, be quiet. It's all good. Let me take you to your room. In the morning, at breakfast, I'll tell you and Dad everything," Narcissa said, feeling her son's obvious resistance.
It was nine o'clock in the morning, when the whole Malfoy family was in a good mood. The huge table was full of food. Coffee, cheesecakes, light salads and oatmeal for Draco. The boy had already forgotten what he had seen before going to bed, when suddenly a girl entered the dining room. She was very quiet and obviously embarrassed, Narcissa smiled at her, which made her noticeably perked up and sat down at the table.
In the morning, she personally woke up the baby, introduced her to the housekeeper, Nora. She helped me take a bath and straightened my unruly hair with a spell. While they were in the bathroom, Nora prepared a casual blue dress with black polka dots for the girl.
"Narcissa, what's going on?" Lucius asked, interrupting his reading of the Daily Prophet.
"I found her in Diagon Alley late last night," his wife replied. "The girl was examining the chopsticks in the window of Ollivander's shop. She said she got there from the train station…"
"Mom, you have me! Why do we need it?" Draco said anxiously.
"Let's move away," the man said and got up from the table. Narcissa got up too and followed him into the hall, closing the door behind her.
"Do you understand that I couldn't leave her there?" She began. "It was very cold, it was snowing, and the baby was wearing only a dress and a robe, which was very thin. It's a miracle she didn't catch a cold. Before going to bed, I sent an owl to the ministry. But there was no mention of a missing child anywhere.
"Do you want to keep her? And what will people say? What if she's a Muggle, have you thought about that?" There was a note of anger in Malfoy Senior's voice.
"She's not a Muggle. We will go with her to St. Mungo's, they will check the magic gene there, then we will enter her data in the "Special Access Book", and when she is eleven, she and Draco will receive a letter from Hogwarts."
"I agree, okay," he raised his hands in a gesture of reconciliation. "But only under two conditions. First: She will be raised the same way as Draco. After the examination at Mungo, she will have classes. Secondly, when they are both seventeen years old, they will get married.
Narcissa sighed and looked at the guys through the closed door.
"What's your name?" Draco asked.
"Hermione," the girl stammered, and began to eat her portion of oatmeal.
"I'm Draco," the boy smiled at her, and the girl was visibly inspired.
"Welcome to our family, Hermione," Lucius said as he and his wife entered the dining room.